Fabric and method of preparing same



of yarns or filaments, there should be present in the product treated at least one layer of fabric, which either consists wholly of cellulose acetate yarn containing finely divided pigment, or which is a mixed fabric containing yarn of cellulose acetate containing finely divided pigment alternating either in the warp or in the weft or both, in any desired degree of alternation, with yarns of other non-thermoplastic fibres such as cotton, regenerated cellulose, linen, wool or natural silk. This alternation may be for instance 1, 2, 3 or more cellulose acetate yarns with l, 2, 3 or more yarns of cotton or other non-thermoplastic fibres. For convenience the warp may be made with such alternation of cellulose acetate yarn containing finely divided pigment and yarn of other fibres, while the weft may consist wholly of such cellulose acetate yarn or wholly of yarn of other fibres. However the weft may consist of an alternation of such cellulose acetate yarns and non-thermoplastic yarns of other nbres, in which case, if the fabric is made in ordinary looms, the alternations will be preferably in twos or multiples of twos. If desired a fabric may be used inV which either the warp or the weft consists wholly of cellulosel acetate yarn containing finely divided pigment while the other component consists of non-thermoplastic yarn.

Instead of employing a woven fabric, a knitted or netted fabric may be employed. Also a fabric containing mixed yarn containing both filaments of cellulose acetate containing finely divided pigment and fibres of cotton or other non-thermoplastic material may be employed.

Only a single layer of fabric consisting wholly of pigmented cellulose acetate yarn or a single layer of any of the fabrics above described containing both pigmented cellulose acetate yarn or'fllaments and non-thermoplastic fibres may be treated by this invention, whereby relatively thin fabricI having the desired degree of stiffness or impermeability throughout or only locally may be produced. Alternatively 2, 3, 4 or more of such fabrics may be treated with Athe volatile liquid that causes stiiening at elevated temperatures, and heat and pressure applied to the whole surface to form a Acomposite fabric that is united throughout, or only inlocal areas lby application of heat and pressure only at the desired local areas.

In another, and in some cases preferred method of carrying out the invention, one or more fabrics consisting wholly of non-thermoplastic yarns, such as cotton, linen, reconstituted cellulose, wool or silk, is` assembled with one or more fabrics consisting wholly of pigmented cellulose acetate yarn or of a mixture of pigmented cellulose acetate yarn and filaments and yarn of nonthermoplastic bres, as above described, may be treated by this invention, whereby a composite fabric made up of a plurality of layers may be made. If a product is to be produced wherein all the layers thereof are united, it is of importance where two or more layers of fabric consisting wholly of non-thermoplastic material is used, that at least one layer of fabric lconsisting of or containing pigmented cellulose acetate yarn be interposed between such layers of fabric.

Instead of employing the cellulose acetate in the form of yarns or filaments, it may be present in other forms. Thus it may be in the form of sheet-like material such as foil having a thickness of 0.0005 to 0.003" or more which may be prepared by casting or flowing a solution of cellulose acetate containing finely divided pigment in a volatile solvent, which solution may or may not contain plasticizers onto polished surfaces of' bands, drums, fllm wheels, etc. and permitting the volatile solvent to evaporate.

Alternately fabrics of any desired construction and made of yarns of cotton, reconstituted cellulose, linen, natural silk, wool or other non-thermoplastic fibres may be impregnated with or coated with a solution of cellulose acetate containing flnely divided pigment with or without plasticizer in a volatile solvent. If this volatile solvent is permitted to evaporate substantially completely, the coated or impregnated fabric may be stored until it is used, in which case it is necessary that a suitable liquid be present during the application of heat and pressure if a well stuck laminated product is desired. However if the volatile solvent of the coating or impregnated pigmented cellulose acetate solution is not permitted to evaporate to too large an extent, no extraneous volatile liquid need be used.

The layer of cellulose acetate that is interposed between the fabrics may be in the form of finely divided powder in intimate admixture with nely divided pigment, with which a plasticizer may or may not be in intimate admixture. This powder.

may be blown or sprayed onto one or more layers of the frabics to be laminated and if desired gums or other appropriate binders may be employed to cause such powder to adhere to the fabrics.

In still another form of this invention a fabric made of or containing non-thermoplastic flbres may be coated or. impregnated with an intimate mixture of finely divided cellulose acetate and pigment with or without plasticizers, and binders or agglutinants such as gum tragacanth, gum arabic, and this fabric is then interposed between two or more layers of fabric which consist wholly of non-thermoplastic fibres, such as cottoll, linen, regenerated cellulose, wool, or natural si As instances of the manner that the various fabrics may be assembled, the following are given. In the case of collars, cuffs, etc. where an exterior of cotton or linen is desired, a layer of fabric consisting'wholly `of or containing pigmented cellulose acetate yarn, as above described may be interposed between two layers of fabric consisting of cotton, linen or other non-thermoplastic fibres. lAn assembly that is also useful for such purposes comprises three layers of fabric consisting wholly of such non-thermoplastic yarns, with a layer of fabric consisting of or containing pigmented cellulose acetate yarn between each of such fabrics.

Any suitable pigment may be employed in practicing this invention. Examples of white inorganic pigments are titanium dioxide, stannic oxide, antimony oxide, barium sulfate, lead sulfate, aluminum oxide, barium borate, while examples of white pigments of organic nature are diacetyl benzidine, diacetyl toluidine, dibenzoyl benzidine and naphthyl urea.

The following are examples of colored pigments that may be employed-For yellow, ochre, sienna, chrome yellow, tin bronze, etc. may be used. For red, Venetian red, red lead, Vermillion, etc. may be employed. For blue, ultramarine, Prussian blue. Milori blue. etc.: for green, Guignets green, verdigris, chrome green, etc.; for brown, raw umber, burnt umber or Vandyke brown; for black, lamp black, graphite, etc., may be used. To ob- Vtain other colors, the pigments may be mixed in accordance with the colorists art.

The amount of nely divided pigment employed aisance willvary with the particular requirements and the` nature of the pigment employed and generally will be from 1 to 10% ofthe weight of the cellulose acetate present. The pigment is preferably in very iine form, the particles having a diameter ofless than 0.1 to 5 microns for increasing the covering power. This fine size may be obtained bygrinding the pigment with water, an oil, or a solution of cellulose acetate in a ball or pebble mill. The pigment may be incorporated in the cellulose acetate yarns, filaments, foils, etc. by admixture in the dopes or solutions from which they are formed.

To obtain good adhesion, an appropriate liquid should be present during the application of heat and pressure to the assembly. Examples of such liquids are active solvents for the cellulose acetate, such as acetone, ethyllactate, formal glycerol, etc. which may be diluted with water or other liquids to restrict their solvent power.

Solutions of plasticizers involatile liquids that may or may not be' active solvents may also be used for this purpose.

A preferred liquid to be used is a volatile liquid that acts on the cellulose acetate at elevated teinperatures so as to cause the same to stien, but which is preferably not an active solvent at oru dinary temperatures. We prefer to use lor this purpose ethyl alcohol (denatured or undeniatured) or methyl alcohol containing water or mintures of these, since they are relatively ineirpensive. Ethyl alcohol containing about 20% of water is particularly desirable las its vapors are not toxic or disagreeable. Less advantageously, more or less water may be added to the alcohol. Aqueous solutions of ethyl alcohol or of methyl alcohol of 55 to 90% particularly of about 80%, concentration are very useful for this purpose. Another example oi a suitable liquid that may be used in au aqueous solution oi the monomethyl ether of ethylene glycol containing say about 20% of water. These liquids are not active solvents for cellulose acetate at ordinary tem- `peratures.

The liquid may be applied to the assembly of fabrics having an intermediate layer containing pigmented cellulose acetate in any suitable manner, such as by dipping, sprayingor brushing. A convenient manner of wetting the assembly is by padding the same with the liquid.

If an assembly of two or more fabrics is treated, both 'sides of the assembly should be wetted with the liquid, as it is desirable that all oi' the layers of the' fabric4 present be wetted therewith when heat and pressure is applied.

The so wetted fabric or assembly oi fabrics is then subjected to heat and pressure. This may be done by any suitable device, for instance by hot ironing or by passing between pressure rolls, one or both of which are heated, or between a heated roller and a heated or cold plate or surface, or between a heated pressing iron or plate and a cold board or surface. The heating device may be heated to the desired temperatures for instance 80 to 180 or more and the pressure applied may be any desired pressures, for instance from 10 to 600 pounds per square inch.

If heated devices that have desired designs, such as stripes, dots, rectangles or other geometric, floral or other designs, embossed thereon are employed, novel edects are obtained, since only those portions that come in contact with the embossed portions of the heated device become united, while the other portions retain the properties of the original fabrics. This local application of heat and pressure may be done by manually operated means if desired.

In order further to illustrate our invention; but

For making fabrics to be used for making a desired article, there is employed an assembly of two' layers, of cotton or linen fabric with an interposed layer of fabric consisting wholly of acetone soluble cellulose acetate filaments containing an amount of titanium dioxide of 2 to 5% of the weight of the cellulose acetate present. Instead of employing as the intermediate layer a fabric consisting Wholly of pigmented cellulose acetate yarn, there may be employed a fabric containing both pigmented celluloseacetate yarn and cotton yarn in any of the desired construc-V tions as has been described.

'The assembly is then wetted on both sides with an aqueous solution of ethyl alcohol (denatured or not) of 80% concentration. Thereupon the assembly is pressed with a hot iron or calender to form a stidened material in which the fabrics are united.` Preferably the heating and pressing is done on both sides of the assembly. Ey controlling the degree of heat and pressure and/or selection ofthe type of fabrics employed and the amount of cellulose acetate present, the degree ci stidness maybe controlled. Generally a semistiil fabric is formed, which retains its stiffness alter repeated laundering so that the use of starch or like material is not required.

li collarsor cudsor bosoms or other articles which are to be sewn onto shirts or other articles oi apparel are to be formed, it is advantageous to eut the assembly oi' fabrics to the desired shape or io and sew it to the shirt or other article prior to the application oi' the aqueous alcohol and the heat and pressure so that the assembly is stiffened and united by wetting with the aqueous alcohol and application of heat and pressure only after the shirt or other article is completed.

nlille-fabrics and articles obtained by this invention may be made more or less stid as desired by controlling the amount oi cellulose acetate present in the layer in the assembly of fabrics being treated; the more cellulose acetate present, the stiffer the resultant products. The fabrics or other articles may be rendered softer by the incorporation of plasticizers. such as diethyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl tartrate, etc., in the aqueous alcohol or onto or in the layer containing the cellulose acetate.

`While this invention has been described particularly in connection with cellulose acetate, such cellulose acetate may be replaced in whole or in part by other derivatives oi cellulose such as cellulose nitrate' or cellulose formate, cellulose propionate, lcellulose butyrate, or other organic esters of cellulose, or methyl cellulose, 'ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose or other cellulose others, in which case suitable liquids having .the required properties for aiding union under heat and pressure will tbe selected.

lt is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and many variations may be made therein, without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

ll. Stidened fabrics and fabric articles, cornprising layers of textile fabric composed substantially of non-thermoplastic material united to lib bil

one another by means of an intermediate layer of textile fabric containing thermoplastic cellulose derivative yarns which contain a finely divided pigment.

2. Stiflened fabrics and fabric articles, comprising layers of textile 'fabric composed substantially of non-thermoplastic material united to one another-by means of an intermediate layer of textile fabric containing cellulose acetate yarns whichy contain a finely divided white pigment.

3. Stiffened fabrics and fabric articles, comprising layers of textile fabric composed substantially of non-thermoplastic material united to one another by means of an intermediate layer of textile fabric containing cellulose acetate yarns which contain finely divided titanium dioxide.

4. Stiffened fabrics and fabric articles, comprising layers of cotton fabric united to one another by means of an intermediate layer of textile fabric containing cellulose acetate yarns which contain finely divided titanium dioxide.

5. Process for the production of stiifened fabrics and fabric articles, which comprisesA uniting layers of textile fabric, composed substantially of non-thermoplastic material, to one another with the aid of heat and pressure by means of an intermediate layer of textile fabric containing thermoplastic cellulose derivative yarns which contain a finely divided pigment-like material.

6. Process for the production of stiifened fabrics and fabric articles, which comprises uniting layers of textile fabric, composed substantially of non-thermoplastic material, to one another with the aid of' heat and pressure by means of an intermediate layer of textile fabric containing cellulose acetate yarns which containing a finely divided pigment-like material.

7. Process for the production of stiffened fabrics and fabric articles, which comprises uniting layers of textile fabric, composed vsubstantially of non-thermoplastic material, to one another with the aid of heat and pressure by means of an intermediate layer of fabric containing cellulose acetate yarns which contain a finely divided pigment-like material, the uniting of the fabrics being facilitated by the presence of aqueous alcohol.

8. Process for the production of stiffened fabrics and fabric articles, which comprises uniigpg layers of textile fabric, composed substantially of non-thermoplastic material,l to one another with the aid of heat and pressure by means of an intermediate layer of fabric containing cellulose acetate yarns which contain finely divided titanium dioxide, the uniting of the fabrics being facilitated by the presence of a mixture of 80% ethyl alcohol and 20% water.

CAMILLE DREYFUS. GEORGE SCHNEIDER. 

